This is our first sight of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz VLE electric MPV in the real world – albeit heavily disguised. And Mercedes has been putting it through its paces, driving across the Alps from Stuttgart to Rome. Nothing particularly unusual in that when there’s a prototype to validate. But what’s notable here is Mercedes’ claim that the journey was completed with just two 15-minute charging stops.
To save you looking at Google Maps, it’s 1090km (677 miles) from Stuttgart to Rome, with long stretches of motorways and mountain passes. Mercedes produces some of the longest-range EVs on the market, the top-grade EQS having a WLTP range of up to 481 miles. The results of this test suggest the VLE will have best-in-sector range by some margin – the current Mercedes EQV manages 222 miles, the Ford E-Tourneo Custom runs out at 190 miles.
The VLE is based on Mercedes’ modular Van Architecture electric platform that’ll be rolled out from 2026. There will be two MPVs spun off from it, which Mercedes has dubbed Grand Limousines. The VLE seen here is the more everyday option with seats for up to eight people, aimed at families and airport shuttle services. There will also be the VLS, an ultra-luxe version that will probably be mostly used by VIPs who prefer getting into the back of a vehicle through sliding doors.
Undisguised, the VLE/VLS will likely look like a toned-down version of the Vision V concept (pictured below) that was unveiled in April 2025. The images of the prototype suggest its front end is a similar shape, but the sides appear less rounded. We haven’t seen any images of the VLE’s interior yet.
All we know of the VLE prototype’s spec is that it has rear-wheel steering which, Mercedes says, provides “easy and agile handling” on Rome’s narrow streets. There weren’t any clues when the Vision V was revealed, either. All the information concerned the interior’s bleeding-edge tech and hyper-luxurious materials, some of which may find their way into the VLS – the triple-screen display that divides front from rear, for instance.
Graham King is a Senior Staff Writer on the Bauer Automotive Digital Hub, working across CAR and Parkers
By Graham King
Senior Staff Writer for Parkers. Car obsessive, magazine and brochure collector, trivia mine.
